Spaghetti al Pomodoro With Pistachio Walnut and Parsley Pesto

By Ste Bray (IG stebray)

This is an easy low cost dish that you can make earlier in the week or midweek with any leftovers you have lying around.

The pesto is great because you can keep it in the fridge or bang in the freezer and use it all year round. (It can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge. Just add a layer of oil on the top each time you use it to keep it fresh.) 

You can also feel free to mix it up how you like - that's what's so great about this versatile sauce. You can chuck in rocket or spinach with the parsley and change the walnuts (which are cheaper) for pine or cashew nuts.

What you need:

For the tomato sauce: serves 4 easily

1 carrot 1 stick celery  1 red onion  4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra to serve 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 whole fresh chilli 2 x 400g tins whole plum tomatoes (not chopped) Stalks from a bunch of parsley, chopped  400g spaghetti

For the pistachio walnut and parsley pesto:

6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (don’t use anything less if you can)

1 tbsp shelled pistachios

1 tbsp walnuts 

Good handful of parsley (save some for a garnish)

Half a clove of garlic 

1 tbsp of nutritional yeasts

Juice from half a lemon 

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a food processor, process the nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast and parley leaves until roughly chopped.

2. Add extra virgin olive oil, keep processing until fairly smooth. Season with salt and black pepper and add your lemon juice and set aside.

3. Heat 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil of a medium heat and add your veg and herb stalks.

4. Sauté until soft but not brown then add chopped garlic and chilli and cook for a further minute and season.

5. Add the plum tomatoes to the pan then mash up using a potato masher or a fork.

6. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 40 mins.

7. After 40 mins, take off the heat and whizz with either a stick blender or ladle into a blender.

8. Add back to the pan if using a blender and season to taste.

9. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for about six minutes, until bendy, but still chalky in the middle. Drain well, reserving a cup of the cooking water, and transfer to the pureed sauce.

10. Stir in and cook for another six to eight minutes, or until done to your liking, tossing regularly to make sure it doesn’t stick and adding a splash of the reserved cooking water if the sauce gets too thick.

11. Divide between plates and drizzle your pesto around the spaghetti and scatter with some parsley leaves. 

Enjoy!

About the chef:

Ste Bray, from Liverpool. Love to cycle, love dogs, love Everton FC, love travelling and bringing recipes and ingredients home with me.

Favourite cuisine to cook is Indian and Italian. Hoping to one day get my own food truck or restaurant. Not a professional or trained chef.

I've been Vegan since early this year - follow my Instagram @stebray!